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The Marriage Bargain: A Variation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
“You can sell Pemberley and settle as many debts as possible. Or you could marry a wealthy woman and use her fortune to restore it.”
Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to a mountain of debt, a tarnished family name, and a crumbling estate finds himself confronted by an unthinkable choice. Knowing it is a last chance to save his birthright, he agrees to an arranged marriage with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, ward of her wealthy but vulgar uncle, Mr Gardiner. Despite entering into the marriage understanding what he is giving up, he soon finds himself resenting the actions of his forebears and the choices he feels he was forced to make.
Elizabeth Bennet knows that marrying a gentleman of high birth would allow her to reclaim the social status she lost when her father died. Having been approached by men falsely proclaiming their affection for her, she embraces the opportunity to set the terms of her marriage openly and honestly. After meeting Mr Darcy and his sister, Elizabeth is determined to give them the home and care they deserve. Believing she and Mr Darcy have a common understanding of what their union will be like, she has high hopes for a happy future.
A friendship between them soon promises to bloom into something more romantic but Darcy has unresolved issues in his past that will not remain hidden. Dismayed, Darcy at last confronts his errors…but is it too late for he and Elizabeth to find happiness together?
The Marriage Bargain is a forced or contracted marriage variation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and will be enjoyed by fans of Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract and other regency romances.
Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to a mountain of debt, a tarnished family name, and a crumbling estate finds himself confronted by an unthinkable choice. Knowing it is a last chance to save his birthright, he agrees to an arranged marriage with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, ward of her wealthy but vulgar uncle, Mr Gardiner. Despite entering into the marriage understanding what he is giving up, he soon finds himself resenting the actions of his forebears and the choices he feels he was forced to make.
Elizabeth Bennet knows that marrying a gentleman of high birth would allow her to reclaim the social status she lost when her father died. Having been approached by men falsely proclaiming their affection for her, she embraces the opportunity to set the terms of her marriage openly and honestly. After meeting Mr Darcy and his sister, Elizabeth is determined to give them the home and care they deserve. Believing she and Mr Darcy have a common understanding of what their union will be like, she has high hopes for a happy future.
A friendship between them soon promises to bloom into something more romantic but Darcy has unresolved issues in his past that will not remain hidden. Dismayed, Darcy at last confronts his errors…but is it too late for he and Elizabeth to find happiness together?
The Marriage Bargain is a forced or contracted marriage variation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and will be enjoyed by fans of Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract and other regency romances.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2022
150 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Marin
25 books92 followersLucy Marin developed a love for reading at a young age and whiled away many hours imagining how stories might continue or what would happen if there was a change in the circumstances faced by the protagonists. After reading her first Austen novel, a life-long ardent admiration was borne. Lucy was introduced to the world of Austen variations after stumbling across one at a used bookstore while on holiday in London. This led to the discovery of the online world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction and, soon after, she picked up her pen and began to transfer the stories in her head to paper.
Lucy lives in Toronto, Canada surrounded by hundreds of books and a loving family. She teaches environmental studies, loves animals and trees and exploring the world around her.
Lucy lives in Toronto, Canada surrounded by hundreds of books and a loving family. She teaches environmental studies, loves animals and trees and exploring the world around her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
December 20, 2022
This was more a re-imagining than a variation. Elizabeth is an orphan living with her Uncle Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner passed early in the marriage and it has been just the 2 of them for almost 15 years. Gardiner is well known and beyond wealthy, in business/trade.
Darcy, is broke, beyond broke, apart from inheriting Pemberley he is a pauper with tons of debt. He is also a bitter, childish hypocrite in a big way! But that comes out and is revealed in the story.
D has a decision to make, sell or marry for money to save Pemberley. His godfather arranges a meet with Gardiner and Elizabeth, who has a very large dowry and whose uncle wants her to step back up to gentry as she had been while her father was still alive.
Eventually they make a bargain for their arranged marriage. Honor, duty and the commitment to see Pemberley returned to its former glory and a marriage based on mutual trust and respect.
Elizabeth is all in, Darcy is majorly conflicted. This is where we start to see all his ungentlemanly behavior in its shining glory. His thoughts are of a negative nature (and repetitive, very repetitive!) he despises needing to marry so far below himself and for money. He thinks he hides it, but not so much.
As for his hypocrisy- his best friend is born from trade, even if his father did purchase an estate. Darcy's young adult crush was Miss Bingley (trade roots again). But E was the source of all that is vile in his life. A gentle-born lady! This is not a likeable Darcy by a long shot.
It was difficult reading of their growing physical intimacy, even though a family was part of the bargain. Knowing his conflicts, he ultimately did not regard her highly. And I am too used to ODC reaching that point after at least some true feeling was between them. This compounded the feeling of being bought, sold and used, at least for me.
As for Elizabeth, she has her own pride and demons to bear. Her relationship with Georgiana is beautiful, but she has reasons for holding herself a little closed off from Darcy. Some is obviously him and his behavior, some are emotional scarring that she never let herself work through.
When they return to London, she finds it difficult to get a toe hold. Douchey the Douche Darcy does not help! (I was afraid at some point my eyes would get stuck in my head from all the eye rolling. Honorable - What a joke!!). Neither does Miss Bingley when she starts to insinuate herself into his personal space and spread rumors about E.
There are other details and characters that helped build this alternate P&P world to make a well written and interesting story. It just wasn't always easy reading. I found especially vexing the repetitive repetitions of Darcy's thoughts and sometimes Elizabeth's. Despite that, a definite reread.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Darcy, is broke, beyond broke, apart from inheriting Pemberley he is a pauper with tons of debt. He is also a bitter, childish hypocrite in a big way! But that comes out and is revealed in the story.
D has a decision to make, sell or marry for money to save Pemberley. His godfather arranges a meet with Gardiner and Elizabeth, who has a very large dowry and whose uncle wants her to step back up to gentry as she had been while her father was still alive.
Eventually they make a bargain for their arranged marriage. Honor, duty and the commitment to see Pemberley returned to its former glory and a marriage based on mutual trust and respect.
Elizabeth is all in, Darcy is majorly conflicted. This is where we start to see all his ungentlemanly behavior in its shining glory. His thoughts are of a negative nature (and repetitive, very repetitive!) he despises needing to marry so far below himself and for money. He thinks he hides it, but not so much.
As for his hypocrisy- his best friend is born from trade, even if his father did purchase an estate. Darcy's young adult crush was Miss Bingley (trade roots again). But E was the source of all that is vile in his life. A gentle-born lady! This is not a likeable Darcy by a long shot.
It was difficult reading of their growing physical intimacy, even though a family was part of the bargain. Knowing his conflicts, he ultimately did not regard her highly. And I am too used to ODC reaching that point after at least some true feeling was between them. This compounded the feeling of being bought, sold and used, at least for me.
As for Elizabeth, she has her own pride and demons to bear. Her relationship with Georgiana is beautiful, but she has reasons for holding herself a little closed off from Darcy. Some is obviously him and his behavior, some are emotional scarring that she never let herself work through.
When they return to London, she finds it difficult to get a toe hold. Douchey the Douche Darcy does not help! (I was afraid at some point my eyes would get stuck in my head from all the eye rolling. Honorable - What a joke!!). Neither does Miss Bingley when she starts to insinuate herself into his personal space and spread rumors about E.
There are other details and characters that helped build this alternate P&P world to make a well written and interesting story. It just wasn't always easy reading. I found especially vexing the repetitive repetitions of Darcy's thoughts and sometimes Elizabeth's. Despite that, a definite reread.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
September 9, 2025
Destiny shapes our ends, but making ends meet is our own responsibility. ~ Arnold H. Glasow
“The Marriage Bargain” is a poor Mr. Darcy story.
Quote from the book: Shall I blame Great-grandfather for marrying a bride twenty years his junior and building a new house he could ill-afford only to keep her happy? Grandfather always said it ought not to have been done, that it had been too expensive, and far more than the estate could bear.
Darcy has been away from England for five years, working as an agent of the government. His father, George Darcy, was too proud to allow his son a career in England. Now, after his father’s death, Darcy has come home to Pemberley in financial ruin. For three generations, the Darcys have outspent their income, the last spendthrift having been his mother “burying her discontent by spending money we did not have.”
The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money. ~ Author unknown
I was prepared for a story of Darcy diligently working his way through cash-flow issues. I was not prepared for this:
Quote from the book: When he saw her last, two and a half years before, Darcy had developed a tendre for her. At seventeen and just entering society, Caroline Bingley had been everything a young lady should be, and more. She was extraordinarily beautiful and gentle and kind. Had he the means to properly support a wife, he might have proposed to her, even knowing his father would never approve or accept her as his daughter-in-law.
What? WHAT???
The Bingleys, as usual, are tradespeople. However, Mr. Bingley, Sr., still lives and has fulfilled his dream of estate-ownership.
Quote from the book: Northlands was not a large estate; it brought in a little over two thousand pounds a year. What I would not give to have even that much, Darcy thought grimly, or to be free of debt, as Bingley is.
Darcy visits his godfather, Lord Halsey, to consider his options.
Quote from the book: “The way I see it,” the earl said, “you have two choices. You can sell Pemberley for whatever you can get for it and settle as many debts as possible. Or you could marry a wealthy woman and use her fortune to restore the estate.”
Lord Halsey knows of a wealthy young woman who wants marriage and children; who prefers country life to a life in London; who wants to improve her social situation. He arranges a meeting with Edward Gardiner, an extremely successful businessman who is the sole guardian of his niece, Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth’s mother died young, leaving Mr. Bennet with two young daughters. When Elizabeth was still a little girl, her father and Jane were killed in a carriage crash. Uncle Gardiner, a widower with no children, has raised Elizabeth.
To recap: Darcy is poor; the Bingleys are in a similar situation to the Bennets in canon; Elizabeth is very rich.
A full purse makes disagreeable men, and even knaves, tolerable in society. ~ James Lendall Basford
During Darcy’s time out of the country, Georgiana has resided with the Fitzwilliams, known as Lord and Lady Servington in this story. The Servingtons treat Georgiana as their poor relation, constantly belittling her. She has few clothes or other possessions. Her accomplishments are mocked. The only family members who value her are her cousins, the Colonel and the Viscount, and his new wife.
Darcy dislikes his visits to the Servingtons but he is also considered a poor relation and feels he must appease the family as much as possible. He wants to get Georgiana away from them and she certainly would like to leave. His marriage would accomplish that.
The trouble with spending all your time acquiring wealth is that you never get wealthy enough to buy back your time. ~ Robert Brault
As a married couple, the Darcys do well enough together at Pemberley, but difficulties arise when they return to London. Uncle Gardiner is generous, especially to Georgiana. Darcy’s pride rears its ugly head when he begins to resent Gardiner’s wealth.
Elizabeth has unresolved issues from the accident that claimed her father and sister. She is outgoing but holds herself separate, letting no one see her inner pain.
We know how much damage Caroline Bingley can do when she has no real power. What will result when Darcy is easily influenced by the shrew? What will it take for Darcy to see the truth?
When you have read as much JAFF as I have, you value stories that are unique. This one hits the spot!
The little money I have — that is my wealth, but the things I have for which I would not take money, that is my treasure. ~ Robert Brault
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“The Marriage Bargain” is a poor Mr. Darcy story.
Quote from the book: Shall I blame Great-grandfather for marrying a bride twenty years his junior and building a new house he could ill-afford only to keep her happy? Grandfather always said it ought not to have been done, that it had been too expensive, and far more than the estate could bear.
Darcy has been away from England for five years, working as an agent of the government. His father, George Darcy, was too proud to allow his son a career in England. Now, after his father’s death, Darcy has come home to Pemberley in financial ruin. For three generations, the Darcys have outspent their income, the last spendthrift having been his mother “burying her discontent by spending money we did not have.”
The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money. ~ Author unknown
I was prepared for a story of Darcy diligently working his way through cash-flow issues. I was not prepared for this:
Quote from the book: When he saw her last, two and a half years before, Darcy had developed a tendre for her. At seventeen and just entering society, Caroline Bingley had been everything a young lady should be, and more. She was extraordinarily beautiful and gentle and kind. Had he the means to properly support a wife, he might have proposed to her, even knowing his father would never approve or accept her as his daughter-in-law.
What? WHAT???
The Bingleys, as usual, are tradespeople. However, Mr. Bingley, Sr., still lives and has fulfilled his dream of estate-ownership.
Quote from the book: Northlands was not a large estate; it brought in a little over two thousand pounds a year. What I would not give to have even that much, Darcy thought grimly, or to be free of debt, as Bingley is.
Darcy visits his godfather, Lord Halsey, to consider his options.
Quote from the book: “The way I see it,” the earl said, “you have two choices. You can sell Pemberley for whatever you can get for it and settle as many debts as possible. Or you could marry a wealthy woman and use her fortune to restore the estate.”
Lord Halsey knows of a wealthy young woman who wants marriage and children; who prefers country life to a life in London; who wants to improve her social situation. He arranges a meeting with Edward Gardiner, an extremely successful businessman who is the sole guardian of his niece, Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth’s mother died young, leaving Mr. Bennet with two young daughters. When Elizabeth was still a little girl, her father and Jane were killed in a carriage crash. Uncle Gardiner, a widower with no children, has raised Elizabeth.
To recap: Darcy is poor; the Bingleys are in a similar situation to the Bennets in canon; Elizabeth is very rich.
A full purse makes disagreeable men, and even knaves, tolerable in society. ~ James Lendall Basford
During Darcy’s time out of the country, Georgiana has resided with the Fitzwilliams, known as Lord and Lady Servington in this story. The Servingtons treat Georgiana as their poor relation, constantly belittling her. She has few clothes or other possessions. Her accomplishments are mocked. The only family members who value her are her cousins, the Colonel and the Viscount, and his new wife.
Darcy dislikes his visits to the Servingtons but he is also considered a poor relation and feels he must appease the family as much as possible. He wants to get Georgiana away from them and she certainly would like to leave. His marriage would accomplish that.
The trouble with spending all your time acquiring wealth is that you never get wealthy enough to buy back your time. ~ Robert Brault
As a married couple, the Darcys do well enough together at Pemberley, but difficulties arise when they return to London. Uncle Gardiner is generous, especially to Georgiana. Darcy’s pride rears its ugly head when he begins to resent Gardiner’s wealth.
Elizabeth has unresolved issues from the accident that claimed her father and sister. She is outgoing but holds herself separate, letting no one see her inner pain.
We know how much damage Caroline Bingley can do when she has no real power. What will result when Darcy is easily influenced by the shrew? What will it take for Darcy to see the truth?
When you have read as much JAFF as I have, you value stories that are unique. This one hits the spot!
The little money I have — that is my wealth, but the things I have for which I would not take money, that is my treasure. ~ Robert Brault
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 18, 2022
“One thing my father taught me,” he told her quietly, “is that everyone has their price. From the highest to the lowest, we will all bargain. It’s just a matter of finding what yours is.” –Jayne Castel, Dawn of Wolves
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: MA: some language, adult themes described and discussed, trigger warning for those who have experienced a disappointment. AU: an alternate universe where things are flipped. 30-chapters with an epilogue.
>>Angst Level: the full range of angst… this was hard reading, gritty, outrageous behavior, character changes that will disillusion and disappoint, frustrations that will cause teeth grinding… I suggest getting a mouthguard. I knew, when I started reading this story, that Lucy Marin would destroy my peace. Yep, she took my nerves on a roller-coaster ride that I was sure would put me on medication. The doctors said they would release me when I quit pulling my hair. Oh-My-Gosh! Be prepared. That is all I can say. Be prepared.
>>Source: I received an ARC via Booksprout [3-25-22]. The views and opinions expressed are my own.
>>Trope: The best Douche, Haughty, Arrogant Darcy ever. He was magnificently horrid. The descriptions of the prejudice, disdain, and disgust of Darcy, as well as those of the ton, were exquisite. I even caught myself snarling when Darcy did. Who knew Marin could evoke such feelings? We also had the Super Elizabeth and a reversal of fortunes. Marin flipped a lot of things from the canon account. The reader will have to watch carefully as they spring up rather suddenly. The story deals with the FMS/MOC [forced marriage scenario/marriage of convenience], and Bennet had died. Excellent writing. I highly recommend this as a very different twist on Austen’s P&P.
>>Inspired by A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer. Since I had not read it, I could not relate to the similarity.
>>Cover Art: Look at that cover... the colors, that couple, the scene… simply beautiful.
Thank goodness Marin reduced the cast of characters substantially. Of course, that allowed her to bring in other characters to round out this new and different take on Austen’s P&P. This was an alternate universe where names and situations were changed or reversed. It felt a bit disconcerting at first but soon Marin’s excellent writing pulled me into the story completely. I actually enjoyed many of the new twists.
After Jane and Elizabeth were born, Mrs. Bennet passed away during her third confinement along with the child. A few years later, Mr. Bennet and Jane were killed in a carriage accident. That sent a very young Elizabeth to live in London with her Uncle Gardiner who had lost his wife a few years before. Many years later, Gardiner, who was now rich as Croesus, was known to have the Midas touch where investments were concerned. Elizabeth was his only heir, but they and their fortune were from trade so….
The Bingley family fortunes had purchased an estate in another part of Derbyshire and Bingley, the heir, was managing the estate. He had offered to help Darcy learn estate management now that he was back in England. Yeah, that trope was flipped. Caroline lived with her brother and managed his house for him with a dowry of five thousand pounds. That point was extremely important to the story. Like canon, she had her sights set squarely on Mr. Darcy of Pemberley and fully intended to marry him.
Darcy’s situation was horrible. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had nearly destroyed Pemberley and seriously tarnished the family name. The only reason they had not sold the pile of rocks was because of an entail that ended with Fitzwilliam. His mother had been a spendthrift who was constantly shopping, redecorating, and hosting elaborate parties to uphold the appearance of the Darcy name. She sounded a lot like Mrs. Bennet of old.
Young Darcy had two choices… sell Pemberley or marry an heiress. That put the kybosh on his infatuation with Miss Caroline Bingley. What? How did that happen? GRRR! This is the point where I needed that mouthguard. Let’s just say she put on a good act to prove to him that she was not only beautiful but a kind and considerate person. Seriously? All I could think was… do not put that viper near your breast, fore she will bite… eventually. Like George Wickham’s lies of old, she had him fooled hook, line, and sinker. There were a lot of parallels and flips like that throughout this story.
Darcy’s godfather told him about his business partner Mr. Gardiner, who lived in Cheapside. He was a respected man of business and wealthy beyond reason. He also had a niece with fifty thousand pounds and possibly more. She was his only heir. Trade… Darcy shuddered to think he would have to link himself to trade in order to save Pemberley. It was that or sell the estate which he refused to do.
The Fitzwilliam family was a nightmare. Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam were a nasty piece of work and had taken Georgiana in when Darcy was forced to leave for America to work. He had to have an income. Lady F was a tyrant and browbeat the poor girl at every turn. Lady Catherine was said to be even worse. I can’t imagine. Thank goodness we didn’t have to deal with her. She was disgusted that Darcy had gone to America to work and refused to have anything to do with him. Shudder. At least the Viscount, his wife, and our dear Colonel were nice. Even if their motivations for extending the friendship were questionable.
This was a LONG story so be prepared to deal with our Darcy being the haughty, self-righteous prig for an extended period of time. He resented the fact that the money brought to his marriage was from trade. He hated being beholden to Gardiner. But he desperately needed the money in order to save Pemberley and to get Georgiana away from the toxic environment of her Ladyship. He struggled with his feelings and emotions regarding his new wife throughout the story. She was an enigma and he simply didn’t know how to take her. She, like her uncle, was very industrious. That acorn didn’t fall far from the tree. If they saw a problem, they went about fixing it. Darcy was embarrassed that her comportment wasn’t refined and polished as he thought a gentlewoman should possess. But then he reasoned, she was not raised as a gentlewoman. Even though her father was a gentleman, her uncle wasn’t… he was a tradesman. GRRR! Haughty, supercilious, prejudice… don’t even get me started.
Darcy was constantly comparing Elizabeth to Caroline, his ideal of perfection. Caro? He was speaking of Bingley’s sister… right? When in society or company, he treated his wife horribly. He was constantly rebelling against the restraints imposed by society due to his marriage situation. He had married beneath him... decidedly beneath him… and for money. And everyone knew it. He had now linked the Darcy name to trade. He hated gossip and knew society was talking about him, comparing him to his father, judging him, his wife, her behavior, and his marriage, and he could not get past those prejudices. It would take something drastic to pull the blinders from his eyes. And it was.
SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***
>>Rating: MA: some language, adult themes described and discussed, trigger warning for those who have experienced a disappointment. AU: an alternate universe where things are flipped. 30-chapters with an epilogue.
>>Angst Level: the full range of angst… this was hard reading, gritty, outrageous behavior, character changes that will disillusion and disappoint, frustrations that will cause teeth grinding… I suggest getting a mouthguard. I knew, when I started reading this story, that Lucy Marin would destroy my peace. Yep, she took my nerves on a roller-coaster ride that I was sure would put me on medication. The doctors said they would release me when I quit pulling my hair. Oh-My-Gosh! Be prepared. That is all I can say. Be prepared.
>>Source: I received an ARC via Booksprout [3-25-22]. The views and opinions expressed are my own.
>>Trope: The best Douche, Haughty, Arrogant Darcy ever. He was magnificently horrid. The descriptions of the prejudice, disdain, and disgust of Darcy, as well as those of the ton, were exquisite. I even caught myself snarling when Darcy did. Who knew Marin could evoke such feelings? We also had the Super Elizabeth and a reversal of fortunes. Marin flipped a lot of things from the canon account. The reader will have to watch carefully as they spring up rather suddenly. The story deals with the FMS/MOC [forced marriage scenario/marriage of convenience], and Bennet had died. Excellent writing. I highly recommend this as a very different twist on Austen’s P&P.
>>Inspired by A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer. Since I had not read it, I could not relate to the similarity.
>>Cover Art: Look at that cover... the colors, that couple, the scene… simply beautiful.
Thank goodness Marin reduced the cast of characters substantially. Of course, that allowed her to bring in other characters to round out this new and different take on Austen’s P&P. This was an alternate universe where names and situations were changed or reversed. It felt a bit disconcerting at first but soon Marin’s excellent writing pulled me into the story completely. I actually enjoyed many of the new twists.
After Jane and Elizabeth were born, Mrs. Bennet passed away during her third confinement along with the child. A few years later, Mr. Bennet and Jane were killed in a carriage accident. That sent a very young Elizabeth to live in London with her Uncle Gardiner who had lost his wife a few years before. Many years later, Gardiner, who was now rich as Croesus, was known to have the Midas touch where investments were concerned. Elizabeth was his only heir, but they and their fortune were from trade so….
The Bingley family fortunes had purchased an estate in another part of Derbyshire and Bingley, the heir, was managing the estate. He had offered to help Darcy learn estate management now that he was back in England. Yeah, that trope was flipped. Caroline lived with her brother and managed his house for him with a dowry of five thousand pounds. That point was extremely important to the story. Like canon, she had her sights set squarely on Mr. Darcy of Pemberley and fully intended to marry him.
Darcy’s situation was horrible. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had nearly destroyed Pemberley and seriously tarnished the family name. The only reason they had not sold the pile of rocks was because of an entail that ended with Fitzwilliam. His mother had been a spendthrift who was constantly shopping, redecorating, and hosting elaborate parties to uphold the appearance of the Darcy name. She sounded a lot like Mrs. Bennet of old.
Young Darcy had two choices… sell Pemberley or marry an heiress. That put the kybosh on his infatuation with Miss Caroline Bingley. What? How did that happen? GRRR! This is the point where I needed that mouthguard. Let’s just say she put on a good act to prove to him that she was not only beautiful but a kind and considerate person. Seriously? All I could think was… do not put that viper near your breast, fore she will bite… eventually. Like George Wickham’s lies of old, she had him fooled hook, line, and sinker. There were a lot of parallels and flips like that throughout this story.
Darcy’s godfather told him about his business partner Mr. Gardiner, who lived in Cheapside. He was a respected man of business and wealthy beyond reason. He also had a niece with fifty thousand pounds and possibly more. She was his only heir. Trade… Darcy shuddered to think he would have to link himself to trade in order to save Pemberley. It was that or sell the estate which he refused to do.
The Fitzwilliam family was a nightmare. Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam were a nasty piece of work and had taken Georgiana in when Darcy was forced to leave for America to work. He had to have an income. Lady F was a tyrant and browbeat the poor girl at every turn. Lady Catherine was said to be even worse. I can’t imagine. Thank goodness we didn’t have to deal with her. She was disgusted that Darcy had gone to America to work and refused to have anything to do with him. Shudder. At least the Viscount, his wife, and our dear Colonel were nice. Even if their motivations for extending the friendship were questionable.
This was a LONG story so be prepared to deal with our Darcy being the haughty, self-righteous prig for an extended period of time. He resented the fact that the money brought to his marriage was from trade. He hated being beholden to Gardiner. But he desperately needed the money in order to save Pemberley and to get Georgiana away from the toxic environment of her Ladyship. He struggled with his feelings and emotions regarding his new wife throughout the story. She was an enigma and he simply didn’t know how to take her. She, like her uncle, was very industrious. That acorn didn’t fall far from the tree. If they saw a problem, they went about fixing it. Darcy was embarrassed that her comportment wasn’t refined and polished as he thought a gentlewoman should possess. But then he reasoned, she was not raised as a gentlewoman. Even though her father was a gentleman, her uncle wasn’t… he was a tradesman. GRRR! Haughty, supercilious, prejudice… don’t even get me started.
Darcy was constantly comparing Elizabeth to Caroline, his ideal of perfection. Caro? He was speaking of Bingley’s sister… right? When in society or company, he treated his wife horribly. He was constantly rebelling against the restraints imposed by society due to his marriage situation. He had married beneath him... decidedly beneath him… and for money. And everyone knew it. He had now linked the Darcy name to trade. He hated gossip and knew society was talking about him, comparing him to his father, judging him, his wife, her behavior, and his marriage, and he could not get past those prejudices. It would take something drastic to pull the blinders from his eyes. And it was.
September 6, 2022
Memorable Twists
In this reversal of fortunes trope, Darcy has just inherited a Pemberley deep in debt due to his grandfather’s and father’s incompetent estate management and, an indulgent mother who overspent beyond her means. When his father refused Darcy’s plea to help manage the estate, he sought employment elsewhere and spent time abroad working as an agent for the government. Elizabeth is an orphan and the sole heir of her very rich tradesman Uncle Edward Gardiner, a widower.
To save Pemberley and help resolve his debt, Darcy’s godfather, Lord Halsley (not to be confused with Lord Matlock) encourages him to marry for convenience, arranging to meet Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth. Gardiner wants her re-established as a lady in society. She is intelligent and well educated and, in Darcy’s opinion too bold and unrefined. He is determined to put her out of his mind, yet he is drawn to her, repeatedly returning to Gracechurch Street to visit with her. Darcy is ashamed and embarrassed by his present circumstances. He resents not being able to make his own choice in a marriage. They finally agree to a “marriage bargain”after Darcy sees how well she treats Georgiana with kindness.
Many primary canon characters do not exist in this story, exceptions being Georgiana, Charles and Caroline Bingley, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy was a childhood friend of the Bingleys, who lived with their father in Derbyshire, and who had already purchased an estate. As a young man, Darcy had developed a tendre for the beautiful Caroline (gulp!), but knew he could never marry her due to her roots in trade and small dowry. He does not deny his attraction to her, and she is the character who will supply the angst in this story.
Lots of contradiction exists on Darcy’s part. He resents having had to marry for money, but he likes Elizabeth and everything about her except her connection to Gardiner. He is petulant and a bit resentful when she makes independent decisions, especially concerning Georgiana, who has become a dear sister to her. Yet, he “cannot fault her arrangements”. He also resents what he views as Gardiner’s interference. Feeling himself a bought man?
“ and she is not Caro— He stopped himself from completing the name, even in the privacy of his thoughts. His situation would not be improved by comparing the two ladies.” — quote from book
“A part of him felt devoted to their life together, but another part of him could not let go of the fact that he had only married her because she was wealthy, and he was poor.”—quote from book
At Pemberley, they embark upon restoring the estate and getting to know one another better, and for the most part, things progress well. A return to Town for the season, however, will severely challenge them.
Darcy’s rude and constantly peevish attitude had Elizabeth continually tamping down her ire, afraid to speak out when in fact he deserved a good set down. Despite warnings from his cousins and, his own conscience, in social situations he pays more attention to Caroline than Elizabeth. Marriage bargain indeed. Insufferable! Don’t worry, he will redeem himself and a happy ending is guaranteed.
The beginning of this book provides a welcome and very different beginning for our dear couple. I really liked this reversal of fortunes trope. Also, the singular Caroline-and-Darcy relationship-from-youth twist kind of blew my mind and made this a medium-angst, nail biter in my view.
As always, Lucy Marin’s keen writing skill makes this memorable book a necessary addition to any JAFF library. I highly recommend it and will definitely be adding it to mine.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 5, 2022 - Audiobook
Very good narration by Alexandra Lee Smith. I did have to adjust the speed up just a notch.
In this reversal of fortunes trope, Darcy has just inherited a Pemberley deep in debt due to his grandfather’s and father’s incompetent estate management and, an indulgent mother who overspent beyond her means. When his father refused Darcy’s plea to help manage the estate, he sought employment elsewhere and spent time abroad working as an agent for the government. Elizabeth is an orphan and the sole heir of her very rich tradesman Uncle Edward Gardiner, a widower.
To save Pemberley and help resolve his debt, Darcy’s godfather, Lord Halsley (not to be confused with Lord Matlock) encourages him to marry for convenience, arranging to meet Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth. Gardiner wants her re-established as a lady in society. She is intelligent and well educated and, in Darcy’s opinion too bold and unrefined. He is determined to put her out of his mind, yet he is drawn to her, repeatedly returning to Gracechurch Street to visit with her. Darcy is ashamed and embarrassed by his present circumstances. He resents not being able to make his own choice in a marriage. They finally agree to a “marriage bargain”after Darcy sees how well she treats Georgiana with kindness.
Many primary canon characters do not exist in this story, exceptions being Georgiana, Charles and Caroline Bingley, and Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy was a childhood friend of the Bingleys, who lived with their father in Derbyshire, and who had already purchased an estate. As a young man, Darcy had developed a tendre for the beautiful Caroline (gulp!), but knew he could never marry her due to her roots in trade and small dowry. He does not deny his attraction to her, and she is the character who will supply the angst in this story.
Lots of contradiction exists on Darcy’s part. He resents having had to marry for money, but he likes Elizabeth and everything about her except her connection to Gardiner. He is petulant and a bit resentful when she makes independent decisions, especially concerning Georgiana, who has become a dear sister to her. Yet, he “cannot fault her arrangements”. He also resents what he views as Gardiner’s interference. Feeling himself a bought man?
“ and she is not Caro— He stopped himself from completing the name, even in the privacy of his thoughts. His situation would not be improved by comparing the two ladies.” — quote from book
“A part of him felt devoted to their life together, but another part of him could not let go of the fact that he had only married her because she was wealthy, and he was poor.”—quote from book
At Pemberley, they embark upon restoring the estate and getting to know one another better, and for the most part, things progress well. A return to Town for the season, however, will severely challenge them.
Darcy’s rude and constantly peevish attitude had Elizabeth continually tamping down her ire, afraid to speak out when in fact he deserved a good set down. Despite warnings from his cousins and, his own conscience, in social situations he pays more attention to Caroline than Elizabeth. Marriage bargain indeed. Insufferable! Don’t worry, he will redeem himself and a happy ending is guaranteed.
The beginning of this book provides a welcome and very different beginning for our dear couple. I really liked this reversal of fortunes trope. Also, the singular Caroline-and-Darcy relationship-from-youth twist kind of blew my mind and made this a medium-angst, nail biter in my view.
As always, Lucy Marin’s keen writing skill makes this memorable book a necessary addition to any JAFF library. I highly recommend it and will definitely be adding it to mine.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 5, 2022 - Audiobook
Very good narration by Alexandra Lee Smith. I did have to adjust the speed up just a notch.
May 8, 2022
3.25 rounded to 3 stars
This is a mash-up of A Civil Contract (my favorite of Georgette Heyer's numerous Regency novels) with Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice (my favorite of Jane Austen's classic works). The plot is more the former, while the characters have been taken from the latter.
Darcy's father has died, leaving his heir to grapple with a heavily debt-laden Pemberley. The two had argued over the senior Mr. Darcy's stubborn refusal to consider any cost-cutting measures and, before her death years earlier, Darcy's mother had reconciled herself to a loveless marriage by spending money recklessly. Despite his father's objections to any Darcy actually working to earn money, Darcy had taken a government position in Canada. He's now returned to England for the first time in years, and the situation is even worse than he'd feared.
Before leaving the country, Darcy had a bit of a tendre for Caroline Bingley - the beautiful, cultured, sweet sister of his best friend. Unfortunately, neither her roots in trade nor her 5,000-pound dowry will help Darcy reach his goal of re-establishing the honor of the Darcy name.
However distasteful the idea might be, Darcy realizes he must marry someone extremely well-dowered, and no one in the ton is interested in an untitled man buried under a mountain of debt. He is put in touch with Mr. Gardiner, whose ward/niece Elizabeth Bennet has a generous dowry and is the sole heir to her uncle's considerable fortune. Gardiner adores his orphaned niece and wants her to marry someone who will bring her into high society - something all his money and connections can't buy.
Elizabeth and Darcy meet several times and eventually do come to an agreement - a marriage bargain. But he can't help resenting not being free to choose his own wife, his new wife's lowly roots (despite being the daughter of a gentleman herself), and the fact that he must accept financial assistance from a mere tradesman. Elizabeth, meanwhile, has adopted the famous philosophy to "think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure" to unhealthy extremes and buries her hurts, barely allowing herself to acknowledge them.
It's a toxic combination that makes for difficult reading. Darcy is warm and supportive in private, but his class-consciousness leads him to actively separate Elizabeth from Georgiana despite the obviously positive influence his wife has on his sister. He brings Elizabeth to London society events but then leaves her to fend for herself because he's embarrassed everyone knows he married her for her money. Whenever Caroline shows up, he can't help wishing he'd been able to marry HER. Elizabeth stoically takes all the emotional abuse he cluelessly dishes out because of the sweet man she sees when they're alone.
This is a thoroughly unlikeable, insensitive Darcy. He's beyond prejudiced and prideful - he's absolutely blind to his hypocrisy. Despite his own dislike for the behavior of most of his horrible titled family, it takes him a long time to recognize the worth of his wife and her uncle.
Ms. Marin's writing is quite lovely, the book is well-edited, and I'd love to rate it higher.
Unfortunately, I found the middle section long and repetitive - once Darcy acts like an idiot with Elizabeth in company two or three times, the point has been made and I was ready for the plot to move on, but it keeps piling on more examples of his insensitivity and self-pitying thoughts.
I'd read A Civil Contract just a year ago and didn't remember it being this dark. Upon re-reading it immediately after finishing this book, my impression was confirmed: the hero behaves far more the way I would picture Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy to act if he were in a similar situation. He honors his agreement to introduce his wife properly in society. Ms. Heyer's heroine may not be overtly emotional, but her husband isn't as much of a blockhead. And instead of the feisty Elizabeth from Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice who dressed down the man who proposed marriage while insulting her and her family, here we have a woman who keeps looking the other way as her husband publicly disrespects her.
I had hoped to enjoy this more, but perhaps these two stories just aren't meant to be mashed together. Content is clean, though it's made apparent that Darcy and Elizabeth enjoy their marital relations together.
This is a mash-up of A Civil Contract (my favorite of Georgette Heyer's numerous Regency novels) with Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice (my favorite of Jane Austen's classic works). The plot is more the former, while the characters have been taken from the latter.
Darcy's father has died, leaving his heir to grapple with a heavily debt-laden Pemberley. The two had argued over the senior Mr. Darcy's stubborn refusal to consider any cost-cutting measures and, before her death years earlier, Darcy's mother had reconciled herself to a loveless marriage by spending money recklessly. Despite his father's objections to any Darcy actually working to earn money, Darcy had taken a government position in Canada. He's now returned to England for the first time in years, and the situation is even worse than he'd feared.
Before leaving the country, Darcy had a bit of a tendre for Caroline Bingley - the beautiful, cultured, sweet sister of his best friend. Unfortunately, neither her roots in trade nor her 5,000-pound dowry will help Darcy reach his goal of re-establishing the honor of the Darcy name.
However distasteful the idea might be, Darcy realizes he must marry someone extremely well-dowered, and no one in the ton is interested in an untitled man buried under a mountain of debt. He is put in touch with Mr. Gardiner, whose ward/niece Elizabeth Bennet has a generous dowry and is the sole heir to her uncle's considerable fortune. Gardiner adores his orphaned niece and wants her to marry someone who will bring her into high society - something all his money and connections can't buy.
Elizabeth and Darcy meet several times and eventually do come to an agreement - a marriage bargain. But he can't help resenting not being free to choose his own wife, his new wife's lowly roots (despite being the daughter of a gentleman herself), and the fact that he must accept financial assistance from a mere tradesman. Elizabeth, meanwhile, has adopted the famous philosophy to "think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure" to unhealthy extremes and buries her hurts, barely allowing herself to acknowledge them.
It's a toxic combination that makes for difficult reading. Darcy is warm and supportive in private, but his class-consciousness leads him to actively separate Elizabeth from Georgiana despite the obviously positive influence his wife has on his sister. He brings Elizabeth to London society events but then leaves her to fend for herself because he's embarrassed everyone knows he married her for her money. Whenever Caroline shows up, he can't help wishing he'd been able to marry HER. Elizabeth stoically takes all the emotional abuse he cluelessly dishes out because of the sweet man she sees when they're alone.
This is a thoroughly unlikeable, insensitive Darcy. He's beyond prejudiced and prideful - he's absolutely blind to his hypocrisy. Despite his own dislike for the behavior of most of his horrible titled family, it takes him a long time to recognize the worth of his wife and her uncle.
Ms. Marin's writing is quite lovely, the book is well-edited, and I'd love to rate it higher.
Unfortunately, I found the middle section long and repetitive - once Darcy acts like an idiot with Elizabeth in company two or three times, the point has been made and I was ready for the plot to move on, but it keeps piling on more examples of his insensitivity and self-pitying thoughts.
I'd read A Civil Contract just a year ago and didn't remember it being this dark. Upon re-reading it immediately after finishing this book, my impression was confirmed: the hero behaves far more the way I would picture Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy to act if he were in a similar situation. He honors his agreement to introduce his wife properly in society. Ms. Heyer's heroine may not be overtly emotional, but her husband isn't as much of a blockhead. And instead of the feisty Elizabeth from Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice who dressed down the man who proposed marriage while insulting her and her family, here we have a woman who keeps looking the other way as her husband publicly disrespects her.
I had hoped to enjoy this more, but perhaps these two stories just aren't meant to be mashed together. Content is clean, though it's made apparent that Darcy and Elizabeth enjoy their marital relations together.
April 21, 2022
The author informs us in her story description that this story is inspired by A Civil Contract, which is on my "want-to-read" list. The story bears little resemblance to Jane Austen's P&P but is a very interesting story. I have enjoyed this author's other books so immediately borrowed it from KU as I read about it on a blog tour and it was released.
Darcy is not the rich man we think of him as. His forebears, including his mother, have squandered Pemberley's wealth and owe many debts, which remain unpaid as Darcy's father dies. The house itself is in shabby condition with few servants left. Darcy has been out of the country as he had secured a job for the government through his friend, Lord Halsey. (He needed an income.) His sister, Georgiana, has been living with their aunt and uncle, who in this story go by the name of Lord and Lady Servington. Georgiana is the man reason he refuses to just sell Pemberley and pay off the debts. He wants her to have a place in society and to be able to secure a marriage in the ton.
Lord Halsey (as we read in the author's blurb) advises Darcy that he has two choices: the first would be to sell but the second is to marry a rich young lady whose wealth can set things on the road to a full recovery.
Now is this variation another difference is that the Bingley family (the father is alive) have lived near Pemberley from Darcy's youth and he is good friends with Charles...whose sister, Caroline, has attracted Darcy, to the point where he opines that if only she had more than £5,000 dowry he would offer for her. He has ignored things Charles has told him about his sister...and later comes to regret that lapse in judgment.
Elizabeth has none of her family still living...except her mother's brother, Uncle Gardiner, who has reared Elizabeth. They have a loving relationship and he is on the lookout to secure a good marriage for her. But this will be an arranged marriage, a marriage of convenience. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are given a choice. He needs the money and she wants to reclaim a place in society. She is, after all, still the daughter of a gentleman even though living all the years after her father's death in Cheapside has deprived her of any connection to "good" society.
Darcy and Elizabeth spend some time (with Georgiana) at Pemberley after they do marry. And while Elizabeth does an outstanding job of helping to begin restoring the estate's former glory she observes acts by Darcy which make her question his full commitment to the marriage. Although Darcy admires the friendship he sees growing between his sister and his wife he doesn't trust Elizabeth's influence on Georgiana. After all, Elizbeth was reared by a tradesman whose manner are a bit coarse. So he keeps them apart more that she would like. And Darcy has not completely forgotten Caroline. While they remain at Pemberley things seem to be going well, a relationship is building, but when they travel to London for the season, things fall apart. Darcy, in company, at dinners or at balls does not spend time in Elizabeth's company/by her side. The only one he dances with at all is one time with Caroline and then he stays by her side in conversation seeming to ignore his wife. Oh, the gossips love this.
Darcy's aunt and uncle are not happy with his choice of wife and are not at all kind to Georgiana in this story. His cousins do stand by his side and even become friends with Elizabeth. Mr. Gardiner stays in touch with his niece and even develops a caring relationship with Georgiana. Darcy resents Gardiner's wealth which allows him to spoil Georgiana and Elizabeth.
You may not particularly like this Darcy. He has not had a loving family nor have they set a good example for him. So does he learn from his mistakes...or is he blind to the fact that he even has those mistakes.
Great story! I highly recommend it.
Darcy is not the rich man we think of him as. His forebears, including his mother, have squandered Pemberley's wealth and owe many debts, which remain unpaid as Darcy's father dies. The house itself is in shabby condition with few servants left. Darcy has been out of the country as he had secured a job for the government through his friend, Lord Halsey. (He needed an income.) His sister, Georgiana, has been living with their aunt and uncle, who in this story go by the name of Lord and Lady Servington. Georgiana is the man reason he refuses to just sell Pemberley and pay off the debts. He wants her to have a place in society and to be able to secure a marriage in the ton.
Lord Halsey (as we read in the author's blurb) advises Darcy that he has two choices: the first would be to sell but the second is to marry a rich young lady whose wealth can set things on the road to a full recovery.
Now is this variation another difference is that the Bingley family (the father is alive) have lived near Pemberley from Darcy's youth and he is good friends with Charles...whose sister, Caroline, has attracted Darcy, to the point where he opines that if only she had more than £5,000 dowry he would offer for her. He has ignored things Charles has told him about his sister...and later comes to regret that lapse in judgment.
Elizabeth has none of her family still living...except her mother's brother, Uncle Gardiner, who has reared Elizabeth. They have a loving relationship and he is on the lookout to secure a good marriage for her. But this will be an arranged marriage, a marriage of convenience. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are given a choice. He needs the money and she wants to reclaim a place in society. She is, after all, still the daughter of a gentleman even though living all the years after her father's death in Cheapside has deprived her of any connection to "good" society.
Darcy and Elizabeth spend some time (with Georgiana) at Pemberley after they do marry. And while Elizabeth does an outstanding job of helping to begin restoring the estate's former glory she observes acts by Darcy which make her question his full commitment to the marriage. Although Darcy admires the friendship he sees growing between his sister and his wife he doesn't trust Elizabeth's influence on Georgiana. After all, Elizbeth was reared by a tradesman whose manner are a bit coarse. So he keeps them apart more that she would like. And Darcy has not completely forgotten Caroline. While they remain at Pemberley things seem to be going well, a relationship is building, but when they travel to London for the season, things fall apart. Darcy, in company, at dinners or at balls does not spend time in Elizabeth's company/by her side. The only one he dances with at all is one time with Caroline and then he stays by her side in conversation seeming to ignore his wife. Oh, the gossips love this.
Darcy's aunt and uncle are not happy with his choice of wife and are not at all kind to Georgiana in this story. His cousins do stand by his side and even become friends with Elizabeth. Mr. Gardiner stays in touch with his niece and even develops a caring relationship with Georgiana. Darcy resents Gardiner's wealth which allows him to spoil Georgiana and Elizabeth.
You may not particularly like this Darcy. He has not had a loving family nor have they set a good example for him. So does he learn from his mistakes...or is he blind to the fact that he even has those mistakes.
Great story! I highly recommend it.
April 22, 2022
This is an unusual P&P variation. It has me trotting out my question as to how much can change P&P and have it still be a P&P variation?
As I read this book I would often wonder if they were named Edward and Belle or Charles and Camilla would this book be very different? And aside from the fact that I probably would not read it because I really don't read a lot of Regency romance books that aren't P&P.
So this is a P&P influenced book that is so vastly outside of canon that any prior knowledge is utterly unnecessary.
This is also a DARK, Dismal, depressed Darcy book. He is truly unlikable and for much of the book I felt him irredeemable - I may still feel that way. This is a bitter bitter man. This is not a FMS but it is an admitted marriage of convenience so one party may materially benefit.
Also many of the characters we all know and love or loath from P&P are absent. They are either dead; never existed or significantly altered. Some like Lady Catherine and Anne are merely given the merest mention.
In this universe the Darcy's have allowed Pemberley to fall to ruin, Lady Anne's brother the Earl is a beast and his wife is a harridan. Georgiana has been dumped with the Earl's family and treated like a poor orphan.
While Lizzy is the fabulously wealthy ward of Mr. Gardiner. When Darcy inherits an ailing Pemberley he needs a wealthy bride and Caroline Bingley only has £5000 he needs 10 times as much so he will be marrying Elizabeth Bennet the tradesman's niece
You see Mrs. Bennet died when brought to the child bed with Mary and Mr. Bennet and Jane were killed in a carriage accident.
Darcy is ANGRY !!!! And a little crazy he feels like his decisions have been taken away from him. And he harbors a big tender (not a euphemism get your mind out of the gutter) for Caroline Bingley.
And you have to wait a really long time to get to anything close to a HEA
As I read this book I would often wonder if they were named Edward and Belle or Charles and Camilla would this book be very different? And aside from the fact that I probably would not read it because I really don't read a lot of Regency romance books that aren't P&P.
So this is a P&P influenced book that is so vastly outside of canon that any prior knowledge is utterly unnecessary.
This is also a DARK, Dismal, depressed Darcy book. He is truly unlikable and for much of the book I felt him irredeemable - I may still feel that way. This is a bitter bitter man. This is not a FMS but it is an admitted marriage of convenience so one party may materially benefit.
Also many of the characters we all know and love or loath from P&P are absent. They are either dead; never existed or significantly altered. Some like Lady Catherine and Anne are merely given the merest mention.
In this universe the Darcy's have allowed Pemberley to fall to ruin, Lady Anne's brother the Earl is a beast and his wife is a harridan. Georgiana has been dumped with the Earl's family and treated like a poor orphan.
While Lizzy is the fabulously wealthy ward of Mr. Gardiner. When Darcy inherits an ailing Pemberley he needs a wealthy bride and Caroline Bingley only has £5000 he needs 10 times as much so he will be marrying Elizabeth Bennet the tradesman's niece
You see Mrs. Bennet died when brought to the child bed with Mary and Mr. Bennet and Jane were killed in a carriage accident.
Darcy is ANGRY !!!! And a little crazy he feels like his decisions have been taken away from him. And he harbors a big tender (not a euphemism get your mind out of the gutter) for Caroline Bingley.
And you have to wait a really long time to get to anything close to a HEA
April 8, 2022
This was a really good book that was interesting and engaging. It was not an easy P&P variation. The angst at times was enough to make my stomach sick and to turn my fingernails into stubs, but it definitely kept my attention and interest. This is one of those stories where, at times, you want just want to throttle "douchey Darcy" as I believe he has accurately been called in other reviews, and see him take his undeserving self back to Canada or maybe some remote island where his only company is Mrs. Bennet! haha
This is a very topsy-turvy P&P universe where everything is so backwards that you will feel like you just fell down the rabbit hole! Darcy is carrying a torch for. . . Caroline Bingley?!? and yearns for the freedom to be able to offer for his "ideal" lady if you can call her that. That idea was deliciously confusing and it was kind of funny, at least for the first ten seconds. The main cast includes only a few canon characters as well as some shiny new ones. Darcy is poor, heavily in debt, and, get this-has to seek employment and work for his living! Elizabeth, still the daughter of a gentleman, is the only living Bennet being raised by an extremely wealthy Uncle Gardiner, still in trade. Bingley, while still has roots in trade, owns a small estate in Derbyshire that seems equivalent to Longbourn. Caroline is particularly devious and nasty with a small dowry and and a singular goal to become Mrs. Darcy. Caroline takes on Wickham's role in this story and fills the role very adequately by batting her eyes and flattering Darcy and spreading lies about Elizabeth and I wanted to poke her eyes out!
In this book, Darcy is just one big, complex, arrogant, contradictory, angry and resentful douche bag. He is full of conflicting thoughts and emotions and thinks way too well of himself given his reduced circumstances and family reputation. He marries Elizabeth to save Pemberley from ruin and to save Georgiana from the "evil step-mother" in the form of her Aunt, Lady Servington. He feels he was forced into a degrading marriage and lets Elizabeth feel it at every turn. He is a horrible excuse for a husband and treats Elizabeth abominably for the first 80% of the book. Elizabeth is very independent and practical and wants to try and make the best out of her marriage. She is strong and courageous and wants to comfort and care for both Darcy and Georgiana and puts not only her money, but her very heart and soul into trying to restore Pemberley and make it into a home they can be proud of and build a family in. In exchange for her effort and care, she is rewarded with a husband who disrespects her, resents her, grumbles at her or just walks out of the room right in the middle of a conversation if he doesn't want to listen to her- which is often, and then later, almost completely abandons her and gives all of his attention to good old Caroline Bingley. I'm telling you, this gets pretty painful. It's so very difficult to not only see Darcy acting poorly, but to also see that his thoughts are even worse than his actions if that is even possible. He never defends Elizabeth when she is attacked by his family, Caroline, or anyone else, never gives Elizabeth an ounce of consideration, but is always thinking of or indulging another woman, is embarrassed and ashamed of his wife and pretty much abandons her, but couldn't bring himself to stay away from Caroline. Humiliates Elizabeth in a very public setting. The list goes on. Again, topsy-tury. Caroline is too forward and a bad influence, yet in Darcy's mind, that honor goes to Elizabeth. I have to say, although, while I was not fond of Caroline, the majority of the blame for the big crowning incident falls at Darcy's feet. He should have known better and it is really hard to find a way to excuse and forgive his behavior. I had to wonder why Lord Halsey, who was Darcy's father figure, did not caution Darcy about his actions and the damage he was doing once he and Elizabeth returned to London. His cousins tried to warn him, but in this universe, he was not especially close to them and he may have taken Halsey's word more seriously?
These characters had depth. Like him or hate him (I experienced both in this book), Darcy has layers and layers of substance and complexities that make him interesting. Elizabeth also had her own issues to work through based on some of her life experiences. This can also apply to Georgiana, who I adored in this book. She was the soft spot for the otherwise unlikable Darcy and the refuge for the lonely Lizzy. I loved the relationship between Georgiana and Elizabeth.
Uncle Gardiner- I loved his big heart and how he cared for not only Elizabeth, but Georgiana as well. He had open arms to this sweet girl who needed and deserved to be loved.
There were some really sweet scenes at Pemberley where, on the few occasions Darcy could be talked out of his foul moods, the three Darcy's had some sweet times and made some fun memories. Lord Halsey was a nice addition. I liked that Darcy had a father figure who truly cared for him to trust and go to for advice and to give him some sort of foundational stability. He was Darcy's Uncle Gardiner in many ways.
A struggle I had was I felt like Darcy's character here lacked honor and that's a hard thing for me to come to terms with in any P&P variation. He is always flawed and needs to grow, but even at his worst, he usually a good man and a man of honor. Here, douchey Darcy was someone I not only didn't like, but I couldn't respect. I don't always like proud Darcy or douche Darcy, but I usually can at least respect him. He did have hints of honor when it came to Georgiana and wanting to repair the damage of his predecessors, but would a man of honor ever treat his wife as Darcy did? That was a struggle for me. I also felt like Darcy was robbed of a lot of his intelligence. Someone known for being clever was sure pretty stupid and blind for a very long period of time. Douchey Darcy hung in there way too long. It made him almost beyond redemption. There was no gradual change or softening. He was 99.9% douche bag for almost the entire book. When we hit the climax and the blinders finally come off, I think he got off way too easy. I don't feel satisfied that he paid the price or deserved his HEA. Yes, he finally did recognize some things that he should have recognized much earlier and he did improve, but was it enough when weighed with his behavior? Elizabeth seemed to bare the brunt of the pain in not only Darcy's actions but also in the consequences and aftermath of those actions. Much more than Darcy at least.
Overall, I would give the first half 5 stars and the second half probably 3.5 only because Darcy's "lesser" qualities were drawn out too long and were a little too unforgiveable without adequate consequences. This book was very well written and I didn't ever want to put it down. It was difficult at times, but that is because it does a great job of making an emotional connection. I was very invested and couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.
This is a very topsy-turvy P&P universe where everything is so backwards that you will feel like you just fell down the rabbit hole! Darcy is carrying a torch for. . . Caroline Bingley?!? and yearns for the freedom to be able to offer for his "ideal" lady if you can call her that. That idea was deliciously confusing and it was kind of funny, at least for the first ten seconds. The main cast includes only a few canon characters as well as some shiny new ones. Darcy is poor, heavily in debt, and, get this-has to seek employment and work for his living! Elizabeth, still the daughter of a gentleman, is the only living Bennet being raised by an extremely wealthy Uncle Gardiner, still in trade. Bingley, while still has roots in trade, owns a small estate in Derbyshire that seems equivalent to Longbourn. Caroline is particularly devious and nasty with a small dowry and and a singular goal to become Mrs. Darcy. Caroline takes on Wickham's role in this story and fills the role very adequately by batting her eyes and flattering Darcy and spreading lies about Elizabeth and I wanted to poke her eyes out!
In this book, Darcy is just one big, complex, arrogant, contradictory, angry and resentful douche bag. He is full of conflicting thoughts and emotions and thinks way too well of himself given his reduced circumstances and family reputation. He marries Elizabeth to save Pemberley from ruin and to save Georgiana from the "evil step-mother" in the form of her Aunt, Lady Servington. He feels he was forced into a degrading marriage and lets Elizabeth feel it at every turn. He is a horrible excuse for a husband and treats Elizabeth abominably for the first 80% of the book. Elizabeth is very independent and practical and wants to try and make the best out of her marriage. She is strong and courageous and wants to comfort and care for both Darcy and Georgiana and puts not only her money, but her very heart and soul into trying to restore Pemberley and make it into a home they can be proud of and build a family in. In exchange for her effort and care, she is rewarded with a husband who disrespects her, resents her, grumbles at her or just walks out of the room right in the middle of a conversation if he doesn't want to listen to her- which is often, and then later, almost completely abandons her and gives all of his attention to good old Caroline Bingley. I'm telling you, this gets pretty painful. It's so very difficult to not only see Darcy acting poorly, but to also see that his thoughts are even worse than his actions if that is even possible. He never defends Elizabeth when she is attacked by his family, Caroline, or anyone else, never gives Elizabeth an ounce of consideration, but is always thinking of or indulging another woman, is embarrassed and ashamed of his wife and pretty much abandons her, but couldn't bring himself to stay away from Caroline. Humiliates Elizabeth in a very public setting. The list goes on. Again, topsy-tury. Caroline is too forward and a bad influence, yet in Darcy's mind, that honor goes to Elizabeth. I have to say, although, while I was not fond of Caroline, the majority of the blame for the big crowning incident falls at Darcy's feet. He should have known better and it is really hard to find a way to excuse and forgive his behavior. I had to wonder why Lord Halsey, who was Darcy's father figure, did not caution Darcy about his actions and the damage he was doing once he and Elizabeth returned to London. His cousins tried to warn him, but in this universe, he was not especially close to them and he may have taken Halsey's word more seriously?
These characters had depth. Like him or hate him (I experienced both in this book), Darcy has layers and layers of substance and complexities that make him interesting. Elizabeth also had her own issues to work through based on some of her life experiences. This can also apply to Georgiana, who I adored in this book. She was the soft spot for the otherwise unlikable Darcy and the refuge for the lonely Lizzy. I loved the relationship between Georgiana and Elizabeth.
Uncle Gardiner- I loved his big heart and how he cared for not only Elizabeth, but Georgiana as well. He had open arms to this sweet girl who needed and deserved to be loved.
There were some really sweet scenes at Pemberley where, on the few occasions Darcy could be talked out of his foul moods, the three Darcy's had some sweet times and made some fun memories. Lord Halsey was a nice addition. I liked that Darcy had a father figure who truly cared for him to trust and go to for advice and to give him some sort of foundational stability. He was Darcy's Uncle Gardiner in many ways.
A struggle I had was I felt like Darcy's character here lacked honor and that's a hard thing for me to come to terms with in any P&P variation. He is always flawed and needs to grow, but even at his worst, he usually a good man and a man of honor. Here, douchey Darcy was someone I not only didn't like, but I couldn't respect. I don't always like proud Darcy or douche Darcy, but I usually can at least respect him. He did have hints of honor when it came to Georgiana and wanting to repair the damage of his predecessors, but would a man of honor ever treat his wife as Darcy did? That was a struggle for me. I also felt like Darcy was robbed of a lot of his intelligence. Someone known for being clever was sure pretty stupid and blind for a very long period of time. Douchey Darcy hung in there way too long. It made him almost beyond redemption. There was no gradual change or softening. He was 99.9% douche bag for almost the entire book. When we hit the climax and the blinders finally come off, I think he got off way too easy. I don't feel satisfied that he paid the price or deserved his HEA. Yes, he finally did recognize some things that he should have recognized much earlier and he did improve, but was it enough when weighed with his behavior? Elizabeth seemed to bare the brunt of the pain in not only Darcy's actions but also in the consequences and aftermath of those actions. Much more than Darcy at least.
Overall, I would give the first half 5 stars and the second half probably 3.5 only because Darcy's "lesser" qualities were drawn out too long and were a little too unforgiveable without adequate consequences. This book was very well written and I didn't ever want to put it down. It was difficult at times, but that is because it does a great job of making an emotional connection. I was very invested and couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.
April 8, 2022
"...I have inherited a ruin..." (quote from the book)
Taking inspiration from Georgette Heyer's novel 'A Civil Contract' and turning the fortunes and circumstances of the Darcy and Bennet families upside down, gave this reader an intriguing 'outside-the-box' experience. How would Darcy behave being the one in need of funds to restore his family seat to its former glory?
"I must try. It is my duty. There have been Darcys here for hundreds of years, and I cannot be the one to give it up." (quote from the book)
With no real choice and wanting to secure a proper and loving home for Georgiana, Darcy, agrees to marry the niece of the wealthy tradesman, Mr. Gardiner. But be warned, for we all know how proud and taciturn Mr. Darcy is in canon, add in resentment and bitterness for the difficult childhood and relationship with his family and feeling forced to lower himself to save his heritage. His blinkers are firmly in place and as we know..."I have been a selfish being all my life..." (Jane Austen/P&P)
"It is not a mistake, and I am sure he will never give me cause to think otherwise." (quote from the book)
Elizabeth Bennet's own life has been upended. She has been lovingly nurtured by her Uncle Gardiner in Cheapside reaping the rewards of his financial genius. She is his heir and her dowry is staggering. But both want her to return to the sphere of her birth - a gentleman's daughter. So both parties agree to the 'bargain'...marriage.
"I have traded by name to people who do not deserve it, but I must remind myself what I am gaining in the bargain." (quote from the book)
We get to see both Darcy and Elizabeth's point of view. How they work together to restore Pemberley and how their emotions hinder them. What an emotional roller coaster I went through. I wanted to rip those blinkers off of Darcy's head many times. The build up to the crisis had me gnashing my teeth! But he was not the only one who garnered some of my enmity...a couple of nasty relatives needed a good set down and Caroline Bingley in particular.
"Somehow, I must find the courage and strength to see me through this." (quote from the book)
All in all, I enjoyed 'The Marriage Bargain". It is well written and edited and my emotions were definitely engaged. My only quibble was I felt the story was more 'telling' than 'showing' especially through the first half. I wished there was more dialogue.
I do recommend this outside-the-box variation that will have you wanting to give several characters a scathing set down!
I received an ARC of this book through Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review.
April 30, 2022
I hated this read. A lot.
Darcy is a bitter, self-centered, nasty human being. He decides to willingly enter into a marriage in order to get his bride’s fortune to rebuild Pemberly, but following this he resents HER, and spends MONTHS snubbing her, humiliating her, allowing others to humiliate his new wife, isolating her, and hurting her with 100 different “subtle” sadistic manners.
Such a gem ! … NOT.
I don’t think this Darcy has redemption at all. Nor do I think the author has an excuse for subjecting us, the readers, to go through +85% of the story reading endless circular mental rants of Darcy excusing his cruel, self-serving behaviour and how HE rationalises using his wife for sex at night, while also abusing her in daytime by constant devaluing, neglecting her, and encouraging others to demean her time & time again.
Do NOT recommend. I regret reading this story and I feel insulted as a reader and BETRAYED by this publisher who I generally go-to.
Note: as other reviewers have mentioned, this Darcy is genuinely enamoured with “Caro” and indulges in tacky behaviour with her white married to Elizabeth, not only initially, but well into the finale of the story.
Darcy is a bitter, self-centered, nasty human being. He decides to willingly enter into a marriage in order to get his bride’s fortune to rebuild Pemberly, but following this he resents HER, and spends MONTHS snubbing her, humiliating her, allowing others to humiliate his new wife, isolating her, and hurting her with 100 different “subtle” sadistic manners.
Such a gem ! … NOT.
I don’t think this Darcy has redemption at all. Nor do I think the author has an excuse for subjecting us, the readers, to go through +85% of the story reading endless circular mental rants of Darcy excusing his cruel, self-serving behaviour and how HE rationalises using his wife for sex at night, while also abusing her in daytime by constant devaluing, neglecting her, and encouraging others to demean her time & time again.
Do NOT recommend. I regret reading this story and I feel insulted as a reader and BETRAYED by this publisher who I generally go-to.
Note: as other reviewers have mentioned, this Darcy is genuinely enamoured with “Caro” and indulges in tacky behaviour with her white married to Elizabeth, not only initially, but well into the finale of the story.
July 7, 2024
Pride and Prejudice and more Pride
Very little of the story is canon but some of the characters are very much the same. This gives us the chance to not know what is going to happen. The feeling is delicious.
For the last three generations the Darcy ancestors have been awful caretakers of their legacy. Each is bloated with pride but really isn’t intelligent enough to run Pemberley very well. Also they have had little idea how to judge people they hire so the estate becomes less solvent and becomes run down. When Darcy’s father dies Darcy is recalled to Pemberley and finds there is massive debt and almost certainly he is going to have to sell the estate.
Darcy has tons of pride and it filters his actions through the same negative decision process. He is almost useless in fixing the problems, being untrained and not able to know who to trust. But Darcy gets lucky and is lead to meet Mr. Gardiner and Lizzy.
Things will change. Darcy’s pride will continue to be an impediment and Mr. Gardiner and Lizzy are not the perfect people to coddle an aristocratic bore. This leads a marvelous story and I must say again, a story we have no idea how it will develop.
I rated it 4 stars because the pounding drum of how worthless pride is became a little one noted.
Very little of the story is canon but some of the characters are very much the same. This gives us the chance to not know what is going to happen. The feeling is delicious.
For the last three generations the Darcy ancestors have been awful caretakers of their legacy. Each is bloated with pride but really isn’t intelligent enough to run Pemberley very well. Also they have had little idea how to judge people they hire so the estate becomes less solvent and becomes run down. When Darcy’s father dies Darcy is recalled to Pemberley and finds there is massive debt and almost certainly he is going to have to sell the estate.
Darcy has tons of pride and it filters his actions through the same negative decision process. He is almost useless in fixing the problems, being untrained and not able to know who to trust. But Darcy gets lucky and is lead to meet Mr. Gardiner and Lizzy.
Things will change. Darcy’s pride will continue to be an impediment and Mr. Gardiner and Lizzy are not the perfect people to coddle an aristocratic bore. This leads a marvelous story and I must say again, a story we have no idea how it will develop.
I rated it 4 stars because the pounding drum of how worthless pride is became a little one noted.
April 29, 2022
After the death of his father, Fitzwilliam Darcy is faced with the dilemma of selling Pemberley or marrying a wealthy heiress to recover the family estate after decades of mismanagement and excessive spending.
On the advice of his godfather, contact is made with Mr. Gardiner, a wealthy merchant who has a niece, Elizabeth Bennet, with a tempting dowry of £50,000.
While deciding whether to proceed with the union, they have a conversation, where Elizabeth informs him that she would like to have a family and will do her best to make the marriage work, despite this being an arranged marriage. She lost her mother at an early age, and then her father and sister, Jane, accidentally in a carriage when she was a child and was emotionally affected by the losses.
Mr. Darcy is reluctant to accept the union, as he considers it to be of a lower social expectation than he does, he feels burdened by his family's financial problems, while he wants custody of his sister, Georgiana.
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy gets married and moves to Pemberley but he doesn't do his best in the relationship, often showing selfish disdain for her feelings. He considers her inferior and tries to maintain emotional detachment. He is jealous of her relationship with her sister and prevents them from getting closer. He does not accompany or support his wife in front of neighbors and friends. He does not defend Elizabeth in the face of Miss Bingley's rudeness and takes her side, in front of his wife in her own house. He makes no effort to help her at events, leaving her alone and not introducing her to friends and acquaintances, giving the impression that she is unwanted. He has negative expectations, little patience and does not take suggestions. All this intensifies when they go to London and even more so with the arrival of Miss Bingley in the city, when he leaves himself vulnerable to a trap that exposes his wife even more.
After the scandal, Mr.Darcy finally understands his feelings, Elizabeth's feelings and what really happened in the first months of marriage and seeks to rebuild the relationship, with an Elizabeth who has strong feelings for him, a great capacity for forgiveness and they manages to overcome this period and continue together.
A Mr. Darcy very selfish, very prejudiced, who does not accept the opinion of others, who behaved in the marriage as the injured party and in the process caused Elizabeth a lot of suffering during much of the book, when I sincerely wanted her to leave him. Despite being very far from my favorite Mr.Darcy, the text is very fluid. I just couldn't stop reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
On the advice of his godfather, contact is made with Mr. Gardiner, a wealthy merchant who has a niece, Elizabeth Bennet, with a tempting dowry of £50,000.
While deciding whether to proceed with the union, they have a conversation, where Elizabeth informs him that she would like to have a family and will do her best to make the marriage work, despite this being an arranged marriage. She lost her mother at an early age, and then her father and sister, Jane, accidentally in a carriage when she was a child and was emotionally affected by the losses.
Mr. Darcy is reluctant to accept the union, as he considers it to be of a lower social expectation than he does, he feels burdened by his family's financial problems, while he wants custody of his sister, Georgiana.
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy gets married and moves to Pemberley but he doesn't do his best in the relationship, often showing selfish disdain for her feelings. He considers her inferior and tries to maintain emotional detachment. He is jealous of her relationship with her sister and prevents them from getting closer. He does not accompany or support his wife in front of neighbors and friends. He does not defend Elizabeth in the face of Miss Bingley's rudeness and takes her side, in front of his wife in her own house. He makes no effort to help her at events, leaving her alone and not introducing her to friends and acquaintances, giving the impression that she is unwanted. He has negative expectations, little patience and does not take suggestions. All this intensifies when they go to London and even more so with the arrival of Miss Bingley in the city, when he leaves himself vulnerable to a trap that exposes his wife even more.
After the scandal, Mr.Darcy finally understands his feelings, Elizabeth's feelings and what really happened in the first months of marriage and seeks to rebuild the relationship, with an Elizabeth who has strong feelings for him, a great capacity for forgiveness and they manages to overcome this period and continue together.
A Mr. Darcy very selfish, very prejudiced, who does not accept the opinion of others, who behaved in the marriage as the injured party and in the process caused Elizabeth a lot of suffering during much of the book, when I sincerely wanted her to leave him. Despite being very far from my favorite Mr.Darcy, the text is very fluid. I just couldn't stop reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2023
Review also posted on my blog
https://myjaffobsession.blogspot.com/...
Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to the once prestigious Darcy family and inheritor of the once fabulous Pemberley, is facing an unpalatable choice.
He either sells Pemberley to pay off debt incurred by several generations of Darcys or enters a marriage of convenience to a wealthy woman.
The state of both estate and family reputation means the once “brilliant match” to a Society lady no longer seems possible. He thinks himself in love with Caroline Bingley, but her modest dowry is not enough.
His mentor suggests a particular lady, who is connected to trade but extremely wealthy.
Elizabeth Bennet also wishes for a marriage of convenience, having been plagued by fortune hunting rakes.
A bargain is made and they marry.
Darcy’s attitude from the beginning is unpleasant regarding both Elizabeth’s money and status.
He is angry that his father and grandfather have left Pemberley with vast debt and much neglected. The Darcy name has lost respect and he has no money.
He chooses to marry Elizabeth for her money, then has the audacity to resent her for it.
She is the orphaned daughter of a landed gentleman, raised by her uncle, who is a very successful tradesman.
Both Darcy and Society ignore her gentle birth and disparage her connexions to trade.
Elizabeth makes a great effort to restore the shabby Pemberley, so that is at least comfortable for them. She puts in place plans to repair and redecorate so that Pemberley is returned to its former glory.
Darcy, Georgiana and Elizabeth begin to settle into a happy life together over the winter.
However, the Season beckons.
Elizabeth strives to establish herself in Society. She is hampered by Darcy’s unwillingness to introduce her and to show he values her.
Darcy is embarrassed by gossip about marrying for money and doesn’t want to be present when Elizabeth is slighted. Thus, Society treats her with even more contempt.
Elizabeth holds in her emotions due to her early life experience. Darcy interprets this as resilience; thus she gets no support.
Add to this Caroline Bingley dropping poison in the ears of Darcy and Society about Elizabeth, and the Fitzwilliam family are vile, to all the Darcy family.
I enjoyed reading the book but this Darcy vexed me!
There is a similarity to Being Mrs Darcy but it felt a bit flat in comparison.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2022
Talk About Repression! I read the first 70 percent of this book waiting to meet up with an Elizabeth Darcy nee Bennet that I recognized!
This is a P&P variation that falls into several categories: Lizzy is Rich, Darcy is Poor, Darcy is Arrogant - oops, that's supposed to be a given....
The point is, this one starts with a great premise and carries on losing blood as it goes. The villains are truly heinous, as is Darcy through most of the book. That part was acceptable. What is not acceptable is that Elizabeth, almost throughout, turns the other cheek, takes it on the chin, keeps a stiff upper lip, etc., etc., etc.. This is not a heroine, this is a deluded punching bag who closes eyes, ears and brain! Yes, we hear her inner angst, but she keeps taking the abuse while attempting to bolster Georgiana's undeniable lack of self-esteem.
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy? Ms. Marin's formerly signature scenes of intimacy are deleted here and that's probably a good thing considering the imbalance of power and misconceptions of character that pervade the story. Nobody reading this would want details of these two self-deluded characters interacting behind the bed curtains.
I'm sorry but this was so disappointing. I'm a willing angst junkie when it comes to character suffering, but these presentations were so irrational and capitulating it was painful to 'watch'. I wanted to give 5, I'm trying to give 4 (no noticeable typos, grammatically above par) but to be fair to other readers, I really need to give 3 for tremendous potential left wanting from an author and publishers who can do much better.
This is a P&P variation that falls into several categories: Lizzy is Rich, Darcy is Poor, Darcy is Arrogant - oops, that's supposed to be a given....
The point is, this one starts with a great premise and carries on losing blood as it goes. The villains are truly heinous, as is Darcy through most of the book. That part was acceptable. What is not acceptable is that Elizabeth, almost throughout, turns the other cheek, takes it on the chin, keeps a stiff upper lip, etc., etc., etc.. This is not a heroine, this is a deluded punching bag who closes eyes, ears and brain! Yes, we hear her inner angst, but she keeps taking the abuse while attempting to bolster Georgiana's undeniable lack of self-esteem.
Does anyone else see the hypocrisy? Ms. Marin's formerly signature scenes of intimacy are deleted here and that's probably a good thing considering the imbalance of power and misconceptions of character that pervade the story. Nobody reading this would want details of these two self-deluded characters interacting behind the bed curtains.
I'm sorry but this was so disappointing. I'm a willing angst junkie when it comes to character suffering, but these presentations were so irrational and capitulating it was painful to 'watch'. I wanted to give 5, I'm trying to give 4 (no noticeable typos, grammatically above par) but to be fair to other readers, I really need to give 3 for tremendous potential left wanting from an author and publishers who can do much better.
April 4, 2022
We have a different situation for both Elizabeth and Darcy. Darcy parents were neglectful to their children and Pemberley. When Darcy father died he inherited Pemberley which was a ruin, and also some debts. He returned from Canada, where he worked for a couple of years. Georgiana was taken by an aunt from Lady Anne side of the family, and boy it wasn’t a good family. We don’t see our usual villains like Wickham, Collins or Lady Catherine.
So Darcy is poor, and Elizabeth is rich. Her mother died giving birth to Mary (she died too), and Mr Bennet and Jane died in a carriage accident. Elizabeth was taken by her uncle Gardiner, and Mrs. Gardiner died too. There was just Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth living in London. Mr. Gardiner was a very successful businessman and Elizabeth had a dowry of 50 thousand pounds. After everybody died on her, it left Elizabeth a bit broken. She was scared to allow herself to love, which we learn almost at the end of the book. She wanted a marriage of convenience, with a man she could respect and take care of. Darcy godfather recommended Elizabeth as a marriage partner, in part because of her dowry, which would help restore Pemberley and Darcy name. Darcy was skeptical, but met with Elizabeth. One thing you ought to know about Darcy - he was enamoured with his friend’s sister - yes yes I’m talking about our dear Caroline Bingley. I cannot deny, it was difficult to read such a scandalous thing! But her circumstances were different too - she had only 5 thousand as her dowry, and Darcy could afford to marry her, although he thought about it a lot.
Darcy decided to offer for Elizabeth after she met Georgiana. Darcy married her for duty to Georgiana and Pemberley. This Darcy wasn’t mature enough- he felt contradicted. He wanted to restore his family riches and wanted the ability to have a choice. He felt he hadn’t had that. So Elizabeth represented the lack of choice and Caroline the ability to choose. He idealized Caroline, didn’t see her faults. I wanted to hit Darcy in the head so many times while reading. He honestly liked Elizabeth, but at the same time he felt her connections to trade were bad enough to find fault with her. He was proud, and he didn’t like that she had all the money, that she was independent, and all in all didn’t need him. At the same time, he liked to talk to her, share estate problems and of course marriage bed. Their first months as a married couple were at Pemberley and it was going rather smoothly, apart from them not talking about their feelings. The real problems began when they returned to London to establish themselves in the ton. Darcy was resentful, he left Elizabeth at balls and spent time with his friends, and of course with Caroline. This went on for some pages, we could read his reasoning and hers, but both of them didn’t draw any conclusions or rather any actions - the easiest thing to do would to just talk honestly. This was what was lacking in their relationship- honesty.
The culmination came at a ball, were scheming Caroline orchestrated a meeting at a balcony and said some things which Elizabeth heard hinting that Caroline and Darcy were in love etc. Darcy’s general behavior towards Caroline suggested that they had an affair and in this moment Elizabeth realized her excuses for Darcy were just wishful thinking. She left for Pemberley, Georgiana came with her, and Darcy finally realized what a scheming shrew Caroline was, and of course that he was a pathetic husband and that he loved Elizabeth.
I won’t spoiler any more, you’ll have to read it yourself. And I highly recommend you do! It was the first time in a really long time, where I was so engrossed with a book I didn’t check “time left in the book” as I usually do. The book was very well written, it is angsty, but I personally loved that. It was a struggle, but while reading you feel all the emotions that Darcy and Elizabeth felt.
The epilogue was lovely and a wonderful end. This book is a gem.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So Darcy is poor, and Elizabeth is rich. Her mother died giving birth to Mary (she died too), and Mr Bennet and Jane died in a carriage accident. Elizabeth was taken by her uncle Gardiner, and Mrs. Gardiner died too. There was just Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth living in London. Mr. Gardiner was a very successful businessman and Elizabeth had a dowry of 50 thousand pounds. After everybody died on her, it left Elizabeth a bit broken. She was scared to allow herself to love, which we learn almost at the end of the book. She wanted a marriage of convenience, with a man she could respect and take care of. Darcy godfather recommended Elizabeth as a marriage partner, in part because of her dowry, which would help restore Pemberley and Darcy name. Darcy was skeptical, but met with Elizabeth. One thing you ought to know about Darcy - he was enamoured with his friend’s sister - yes yes I’m talking about our dear Caroline Bingley. I cannot deny, it was difficult to read such a scandalous thing! But her circumstances were different too - she had only 5 thousand as her dowry, and Darcy could afford to marry her, although he thought about it a lot.
Darcy decided to offer for Elizabeth after she met Georgiana. Darcy married her for duty to Georgiana and Pemberley. This Darcy wasn’t mature enough- he felt contradicted. He wanted to restore his family riches and wanted the ability to have a choice. He felt he hadn’t had that. So Elizabeth represented the lack of choice and Caroline the ability to choose. He idealized Caroline, didn’t see her faults. I wanted to hit Darcy in the head so many times while reading. He honestly liked Elizabeth, but at the same time he felt her connections to trade were bad enough to find fault with her. He was proud, and he didn’t like that she had all the money, that she was independent, and all in all didn’t need him. At the same time, he liked to talk to her, share estate problems and of course marriage bed. Their first months as a married couple were at Pemberley and it was going rather smoothly, apart from them not talking about their feelings. The real problems began when they returned to London to establish themselves in the ton. Darcy was resentful, he left Elizabeth at balls and spent time with his friends, and of course with Caroline. This went on for some pages, we could read his reasoning and hers, but both of them didn’t draw any conclusions or rather any actions - the easiest thing to do would to just talk honestly. This was what was lacking in their relationship- honesty.
The culmination came at a ball, were scheming Caroline orchestrated a meeting at a balcony and said some things which Elizabeth heard hinting that Caroline and Darcy were in love etc. Darcy’s general behavior towards Caroline suggested that they had an affair and in this moment Elizabeth realized her excuses for Darcy were just wishful thinking. She left for Pemberley, Georgiana came with her, and Darcy finally realized what a scheming shrew Caroline was, and of course that he was a pathetic husband and that he loved Elizabeth.
I won’t spoiler any more, you’ll have to read it yourself. And I highly recommend you do! It was the first time in a really long time, where I was so engrossed with a book I didn’t check “time left in the book” as I usually do. The book was very well written, it is angsty, but I personally loved that. It was a struggle, but while reading you feel all the emotions that Darcy and Elizabeth felt.
The epilogue was lovely and a wonderful end. This book is a gem.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 10, 2024
This is not really a variation of Pride and Prejudice so much as that it borrows the characters and settings of P&P to tell a new story. It's inspired partly by Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract, in that it's about a marriage of convenience.
Fitzwilliam Darcy has been out of the country, driven by his inability to get on with his father into taking a civil service job that carried him overseas. Now his father has died, and Darcy has inherited a run-down, encumbered Pemberley. To his relief, he is now also guardian to his younger sister Georgiana. She's been living with their rather horrible relations, the earl and countess, since her mother's death. Darcy is not a happy man, but he now has a choice to make, either sell Pemberley and get what he can for it, or marry an heiress so that he can begin to pay off the debts and attempt to get Pemberley profitable again. His godfather, Lord Halsley, who helped him obtain his government job when he needed it, knows of a young woman he thinks Darcy should meet. She's the orphaned niece of a very wealthy man in trade, Edward Gardiner. Her name is Elizabeth Bennet.
I lke this premise, and the addition of Darcy having once had a tendre for his friend Charles Bingley's sister Caroline adds some spice. I also love this Elizabeth, even though she feels at times a little too perfect. But Darcy, oh boy. I wanted to shake him and talk some sense into him. He's such a snob and a little boy about everything. I felt quite put off by his selfishness, his pride, and his utter inability to take his wife's or even his sister's comfort into account, especially in social situations. I also wonder why on earth he tries for as long as he does to stay on the good side (there isn't one) of his aunt and uncle, the horrible earl and his mean-spirited wife, who clearly dislike Georgiana and yet want to have control over her life. Ick! Then there is Caroline Bingley...
It seems to me that the story spends a little too much time in Darcy and Elizabeth's heads, and that gets a little repetitive as they go over and over their feelings, basically arguing with themselves. Darcy, for all his inner arguments, never seems to make much sense to me until near the end of the story. Elizabeth seems to forgive way too easily, all through the story.
I love Uncle Gardiner and Georgiana in this story. Between them and the intriguing encounters with Miss Bingley, whom we all love to hate, I wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen.
The ending goes on a little too long.
Sort of a spoiler but not: Maybe Georgiana represents the archetypal maiden, for me, and I just want her to stay this lovely, sweet, shy, innocent girl forever.
Fitzwilliam Darcy has been out of the country, driven by his inability to get on with his father into taking a civil service job that carried him overseas. Now his father has died, and Darcy has inherited a run-down, encumbered Pemberley. To his relief, he is now also guardian to his younger sister Georgiana. She's been living with their rather horrible relations, the earl and countess, since her mother's death. Darcy is not a happy man, but he now has a choice to make, either sell Pemberley and get what he can for it, or marry an heiress so that he can begin to pay off the debts and attempt to get Pemberley profitable again. His godfather, Lord Halsley, who helped him obtain his government job when he needed it, knows of a young woman he thinks Darcy should meet. She's the orphaned niece of a very wealthy man in trade, Edward Gardiner. Her name is Elizabeth Bennet.
I lke this premise, and the addition of Darcy having once had a tendre for his friend Charles Bingley's sister Caroline adds some spice. I also love this Elizabeth, even though she feels at times a little too perfect. But Darcy, oh boy. I wanted to shake him and talk some sense into him. He's such a snob and a little boy about everything. I felt quite put off by his selfishness, his pride, and his utter inability to take his wife's or even his sister's comfort into account, especially in social situations. I also wonder why on earth he tries for as long as he does to stay on the good side (there isn't one) of his aunt and uncle, the horrible earl and his mean-spirited wife, who clearly dislike Georgiana and yet want to have control over her life. Ick! Then there is Caroline Bingley...
It seems to me that the story spends a little too much time in Darcy and Elizabeth's heads, and that gets a little repetitive as they go over and over their feelings, basically arguing with themselves. Darcy, for all his inner arguments, never seems to make much sense to me until near the end of the story. Elizabeth seems to forgive way too easily, all through the story.
I love Uncle Gardiner and Georgiana in this story. Between them and the intriguing encounters with Miss Bingley, whom we all love to hate, I wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen.
The ending goes on a little too long.
Sort of a spoiler but not: Maybe Georgiana represents the archetypal maiden, for me, and I just want her to stay this lovely, sweet, shy, innocent girl forever.
April 27, 2022
I’m not sure I want to finish this book
I liked the blurb but I’m 40% in to the book and I’m hating Darcy and Elizabeth. I read the reviews and everyone seems to agree that it gets better towards the end but I’m just not sure if this Darcy and Elizabeth is worth the heartache. I believe I will leave it as a DNF.
I liked the blurb but I’m 40% in to the book and I’m hating Darcy and Elizabeth. I read the reviews and everyone seems to agree that it gets better towards the end but I’m just not sure if this Darcy and Elizabeth is worth the heartache. I believe I will leave it as a DNF.
June 16, 2022
What an unpleasant book
I don't believe I have ever read a book with a more unpleasant leading character. Darcy whined and complained thru three quarters of the book without any let up.
I don't believe I have ever read a book with a more unpleasant leading character. Darcy whined and complained thru three quarters of the book without any let up.
August 13, 2022
I've enjoyed a few books by this author but this wasn't one of my favourites. It was well written and nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't as good as the others.
In this story roles are somewhat reversed - Lizzy is an only child living with Uncle Gardiner and is his sole heir. He is very wealthy. Darcy inherits Pemberley but it's a mess and in need of repair but he has no money. He wants to marry Miss Bingley but she isn't rich enough so he settles on a marriage of convenience instead with Elizabeth.
For a long time not much happens in this book. Lizzy is redecorating and Darcy is resentful. Their relationship is quite a slow burner too.
Overall, this was ok but not much going on and a slow relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth.
In this story roles are somewhat reversed - Lizzy is an only child living with Uncle Gardiner and is his sole heir. He is very wealthy. Darcy inherits Pemberley but it's a mess and in need of repair but he has no money. He wants to marry Miss Bingley but she isn't rich enough so he settles on a marriage of convenience instead with Elizabeth.
For a long time not much happens in this book. Lizzy is redecorating and Darcy is resentful. Their relationship is quite a slow burner too.
Overall, this was ok but not much going on and a slow relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth.
March 22, 2024
What a story! Though Elizabeth's status is different in this book, she being richer than Darcy, Darcy's pride and prejudice are worse. I like this Elizabeth who is not perfect but still so perfect for the story. There were many instances in this book when I really wanted to punch Darcy and his groveling didn't feel like enough. The book is more than three quarters angst. I felt like there could've been a bit more happiness for us to read, like Darcy taking care of Elizabeth, he buying her small gifts, him defending her to anybody and everybody especially his family, him showing pride in her achievements etc. etc. The end was good but not good enough.
April 19, 2022
Great Book
I loved Lizzy and Uncle Gardner in this story. Darcy was a lot like Jane Bennett in this story he did not see blatant dishonesty in front of his face, even while Bingley and his cousins were telling him. Lizzy took too long to tell Darcy what she felt about how Miss Bingley was treating her and acting toward Darcy. Loved the development of Darcy good story.
I loved Lizzy and Uncle Gardner in this story. Darcy was a lot like Jane Bennett in this story he did not see blatant dishonesty in front of his face, even while Bingley and his cousins were telling him. Lizzy took too long to tell Darcy what she felt about how Miss Bingley was treating her and acting toward Darcy. Loved the development of Darcy good story.
April 5, 2022
In this unique Pride and Prejudice variation, Mr. Darcy has inherited a mountain of debt and a Pemberley in disrepair. Forced into a marriage of convenience with wealthy Elizabeth Bennet to save his estate, his arrogant pride is disgusted and dismayed by both the necessity as well as her low connection to the rich tradesman, Mr. Gardiner. What a premise! Honestly, this Mr. Darcy was exceedingly difficult to like through most of the story. There were moments where I felt badly for the shame and anxiety he feels, but his resentment and bitterness, not to mention his tender feelings for Caroline Bingley—yes, I really said that, and yes, it's really frustrating—and his poor treatment of his wife made it challenging to even want him to have a happily-ever-after with long-suffering Elizabeth. Thankfully, Mr. Darcy does finally redeem himself. My favorite aspects of this story were Elizabeth's determination and intelligence, as well as her sweet relationship with Georgiana. And these words of wisdom: "It is strange and wonderful to sometimes find that the things we do because we feel we must become the things for which we are most grateful." This is an angsty tale with a worthwhile and hard-won happily-ever-after for our dear couple.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 3, 2022
Entertaining
But I think the story doesn't really reach its potential. It is different and unique but I feel that something is missing.
But I think the story doesn't really reach its potential. It is different and unique but I feel that something is missing.
April 10, 2022
This variation introduces Elizabeth as an orphan who lost her family in a carriage accident. Her uncle, Mr. Gardiner, took her into his care and now she's a wealthy heiress. Darcy has inherited an estate in financial ruins and needs to marry money. After some deliberation they make a deal: He can use her dowry to restore Pemberley and she gets back some of her gentry status that she's lost living with Mr. Gardiner, however rich he may be. She befriends Georgiana, proves herself a competent mistress of a household, and has decided to allow herself to care for him and make a good marriage out of it.
But the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth is the best when they're alone at home but going to the wider circles, Darcy is resentful for multiple reasons. People are talking about his marriage, and most of it is not good. He thinks people paint him with the same brush as his father and grandparents who were not good masters of an estate. Some of his family members in particular are quite cruel about what they see as her lack of breeding. He believes he's lost control over his life, as he cannot marry just any woman of his choosing, and because he feels Gardiner and Elizabeth sometimes walk all over him in making decisions. He thinks he should limit Elizabeth's influence over Georgiana and avoids interacting with her in social situations. And Darcy is quite stupid about Miss Bingley, having had a tendre for her in his even stupider youth. Multiple people try to tell him so but he won't ever listen.
Eventually things come to a head due to a bit of a scandal and Darcy needs to write another letter.
This is one of those stories in which Darcy acts like such an ass that I wanted Mr. Gardiner to call in his debts, force him to sell, and make Elizabeth the owner of Pemberley instead. But it's a testament to the skill of the author that you can sorta kinda see where he's coming from and he manages to dig himself up from his self-inflicted hole.
There is an epilogue that shows a happy ending several years later but I wanted to find out how or if they managed to mitigate the damage caused from the gossip and it wasn't terribly clear. Their best friends are still their friends, but how does the ton view them now?
Steam level: Marital duties were performed behind closed doors.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
But the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth is the best when they're alone at home but going to the wider circles, Darcy is resentful for multiple reasons. People are talking about his marriage, and most of it is not good. He thinks people paint him with the same brush as his father and grandparents who were not good masters of an estate. Some of his family members in particular are quite cruel about what they see as her lack of breeding. He believes he's lost control over his life, as he cannot marry just any woman of his choosing, and because he feels Gardiner and Elizabeth sometimes walk all over him in making decisions. He thinks he should limit Elizabeth's influence over Georgiana and avoids interacting with her in social situations. And Darcy is quite stupid about Miss Bingley, having had a tendre for her in his even stupider youth. Multiple people try to tell him so but he won't ever listen.
Eventually things come to a head due to a bit of a scandal and Darcy needs to write another letter.
This is one of those stories in which Darcy acts like such an ass that I wanted Mr. Gardiner to call in his debts, force him to sell, and make Elizabeth the owner of Pemberley instead. But it's a testament to the skill of the author that you can sorta kinda see where he's coming from and he manages to dig himself up from his self-inflicted hole.
There is an epilogue that shows a happy ending several years later but I wanted to find out how or if they managed to mitigate the damage caused from the gossip and it wasn't terribly clear. Their best friends are still their friends, but how does the ton view them now?
Steam level: Marital duties were performed behind closed doors.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 23, 2022
I’ve never read a variation or fan fic where I legitimately hated Mr. Darcy before, so in that aspect this book was new. The thing is, in cannon right, they are both flawed, they have both made mistakes. However, in this book Darcy was a prat. I mean just a giant whiny asshole! Meanwhile, Elizabeth was pretty much perfection. It was too one sided & I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I don’t think Elizabeth should have forgiven him. Definitely not that easily, but perhaps not at all- I mean that’s how bad he was people!!
May 3, 2022
Worst version of Mr. Darcy ever!
I love P&P variations and the author wrote a well composed story. But this is by far the worst version of Mr. Darcy I have ever read. I was immediately offended by his preference to Caroline and disgusted by the way he treated Elizabeth. By the 75% mark I hated his character. Elizabeth was a pushover and lacked all of the spunk that made her obstinate and headstrong. The writer really tried to give a new view of the story and I applaud her for it, but I didn’t like it. If this was an original story and not P&P I would have appreciated her ability to make me feel so much hatred for a character, but it was just to far off the mark from any of the original characters personalities for me.
I love P&P variations and the author wrote a well composed story. But this is by far the worst version of Mr. Darcy I have ever read. I was immediately offended by his preference to Caroline and disgusted by the way he treated Elizabeth. By the 75% mark I hated his character. Elizabeth was a pushover and lacked all of the spunk that made her obstinate and headstrong. The writer really tried to give a new view of the story and I applaud her for it, but I didn’t like it. If this was an original story and not P&P I would have appreciated her ability to make me feel so much hatred for a character, but it was just to far off the mark from any of the original characters personalities for me.
June 9, 2022
Ugh. This book. You know how Jane Austen always made fun of the Brontë sisters for being too dramatic and emo (Don’t believe me? Check out her letters To her editor at Oxford…they are delightfully bitchy). Well. This book is the Brontë revenge. Seriously it is Pride and Prejudice as written by a Brontë. There is no joy, no wit, no charm….just tragic doldrums. I wish I had one of those Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind treatments.
July 5, 2024
I think I enjoyed this book more because I went into it knowing from my Goodreads JAFF friends that Darcy treated Elizabeth badly. I was prepared for a douchy Darcy.
What I experienced was a cowardly Darcy who cares way too much about what high society thinks of him. This is a different Elizabeth. She’s still full of spirit & humor, but she has some deep fears due to a traumatic childhood tragedy.
Elizabeth handled Darcy’s more nasty relatives like a champ. I love the relationship between Lizzy and Georgiana. Darcy’s interference was frustrating.
I docked an entire star for Darcy’s pathetic crush on Caroline Bingley. It was pretty gross and stupid. He is a married man, yet ditches Elizabeth at social events to seek out Caroline. He blames everyone else for taking away his choice of marriage partner. He readily admits to himself that Caroline had never been a viable option due to her small dowry & family in trade, but he’s still bitter & immature about it. He regrets having to stoop so low as to marry Elizabeth for her fortune (gained by her Uncle Gardiner’s Midas touch when it comes to business & trade) to save Pemberley. Whenever Uncle Gardner sends gifts or does something like paying for roof repairs, Darcy gets cranky like a spoiled child. He hates Mr Gardiner & refuses to acknowledge him or visit his home. He even resents Elizabeth’s improvements at dilapidated Pemberley. He gets angry & broods. Whenever Elizabeth tries to talk about any of it, he refuses to talk or just leaves. Most of his internal monologue sounds like a teenage tantrum.
There are actual valid reasons behind his behavior, and unbelievably, there’s a good resolution & HEA. I highly recommend! Marital intimacy happens behind closed doors; no sex details.
What I experienced was a cowardly Darcy who cares way too much about what high society thinks of him. This is a different Elizabeth. She’s still full of spirit & humor, but she has some deep fears due to a traumatic childhood tragedy.
Elizabeth handled Darcy’s more nasty relatives like a champ. I love the relationship between Lizzy and Georgiana. Darcy’s interference was frustrating.
I docked an entire star for Darcy’s pathetic crush on Caroline Bingley. It was pretty gross and stupid. He is a married man, yet ditches Elizabeth at social events to seek out Caroline. He blames everyone else for taking away his choice of marriage partner. He readily admits to himself that Caroline had never been a viable option due to her small dowry & family in trade, but he’s still bitter & immature about it. He regrets having to stoop so low as to marry Elizabeth for her fortune (gained by her Uncle Gardiner’s Midas touch when it comes to business & trade) to save Pemberley. Whenever Uncle Gardner sends gifts or does something like paying for roof repairs, Darcy gets cranky like a spoiled child. He hates Mr Gardiner & refuses to acknowledge him or visit his home. He even resents Elizabeth’s improvements at dilapidated Pemberley. He gets angry & broods. Whenever Elizabeth tries to talk about any of it, he refuses to talk or just leaves. Most of his internal monologue sounds like a teenage tantrum.
There are actual valid reasons behind his behavior, and unbelievably, there’s a good resolution & HEA. I highly recommend! Marital intimacy happens behind closed doors; no sex details.
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May 1, 2022Definitely different
In this story, Elizabeth is a rich orphan raised by her Uncle Gardiner who is now a widower and Darcy's been employed by the British government in their foreign services recently in Canada. He's facing a crumbling Pemberley where everything had been sold and what is left is falling apart because of his father and grandfather mismanagement of the estate. He's stuck with his fathers debts and even if he sold the estate it wouldn't be enough. His only choice is marrying an heiress and that is Elizabeth Bennet. Her father and only sister died when she was 2 years old and everything she had has been invested by her Uncle for her future.
Of course Darcy's pride and his family infighting has caused him great emotional pain and he's suffering his mixed feelings regarding marriage to a tradesman's niece and his feelings for both her and Caroline who only has 5 Thousand pounds in her dowry. The worst part of this is Darcy's family - the Earl and his wife are vile, nasty, and quite rude...they are so horrible that no one in their family likes them. We don't see Lady Catherine who is supposed to be even worse than they are which is frightening!
While much is painful to read and these characters are definitely NOT the same as canon has them, it was incredibly interesting to read..sort of a " what if ...." story!
In this story, Elizabeth is a rich orphan raised by her Uncle Gardiner who is now a widower and Darcy's been employed by the British government in their foreign services recently in Canada. He's facing a crumbling Pemberley where everything had been sold and what is left is falling apart because of his father and grandfather mismanagement of the estate. He's stuck with his fathers debts and even if he sold the estate it wouldn't be enough. His only choice is marrying an heiress and that is Elizabeth Bennet. Her father and only sister died when she was 2 years old and everything she had has been invested by her Uncle for her future.
Of course Darcy's pride and his family infighting has caused him great emotional pain and he's suffering his mixed feelings regarding marriage to a tradesman's niece and his feelings for both her and Caroline who only has 5 Thousand pounds in her dowry. The worst part of this is Darcy's family - the Earl and his wife are vile, nasty, and quite rude...they are so horrible that no one in their family likes them. We don't see Lady Catherine who is supposed to be even worse than they are which is frightening!
While much is painful to read and these characters are definitely NOT the same as canon has them, it was incredibly interesting to read..sort of a " what if ...." story!
April 17, 2022
The story is completely different than the original.In this story Elizabeth is richer than Mr Darcy and Caroline.There wasn't much villain in the story thus to me it was low-angst but one would feel a big (and prolonged) heartache and tearful moments. Mr. Darcy stayed as Mr. Darcy, despite the loss of fortune, he retained his sense of superiority, arrogance and prejudice. Then Caroline was still head over hills chasing Mr. Darcy. (Spoiler: No Bingley -Jane here).
This was a very entertaining read. Evey chapter gives us an eager anticipation if this is it... everything will come to light and Mr. Darcy will make the blunder and everyone gets their comeuppance.
A wonderful story with a very strong heroine. A story of love, word of honor, commitment to marriage and forgiveness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a very entertaining read. Evey chapter gives us an eager anticipation if this is it... everything will come to light and Mr. Darcy will make the blunder and everyone gets their comeuppance.
A wonderful story with a very strong heroine. A story of love, word of honor, commitment to marriage and forgiveness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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